The first model to appear on Sports Illustrated`s coveted covers three consecutive times (1979-1981), Christie Brinkley is one of the most popular bombshells of the 21st century. The blonde haired, blue-eyed Brinkley was born Christie Lee Hudson in Monroe, Michigan, then later moved to California she and her family lived in the Bel Air hills. She was educated at le Lyc¿¿e Fran¿¿ais de Los Angeles and briefly worked in Paris as an illustrator. While the male sex may remember her best for her appearance as the The Girl in the Ferrari in1983 and 1997`s National Lampoon`s Vacation films, cosmetics lovers consider her the ultimate Cover Girl: In 1976, she signed a contract with cosmetics powerhouse Cover Girl, which they continued to renew for a whopping twenty years. A longtime vegetarian, she has been a loyal Peta supporter.
In comparison, Brinkley`s personal relationships aren`t as enduring as those in her professional life. The model has been married four times: First to artist Jean-Fran¿¿ois Allaux (1973¿¿¿1981), then to musician Billy Joel (1985¿¿¿1994) who wrote Uptown Girl, and other famous songs with her in mind. After Brinkley and Joel had daughter Alexa Ray, Brinkley divorced Joel and married developer Richard Taubman (1994¿¿¿1995) with whom she had son Jack Paris. Peter Cook, an architect, became her fourth husband in 1996. The couple had daughter Sailor Lee in 1998, then filed divorce in 2006.
